Interest in the benefits of CBD is higher than ever, but not all CBD products are created equal. The wide range of CBD products that exist today can create confusion for almost anyone. As a consumer, there are some essential things you should know about how manufacturers extract CBD in the US. We’ll break down the CBD Extraction Process here.
Extraction Quality
The industrial hemp plant used to extract CBD oil from must be high in quality to produce high-quality oil. This begins by planting genetically stable hemp plants that originate from a quality strain.
The plants can only grown in the right soil. For example, US soil is pesticide-free and well-aerated with a pH range of 6 to 7.5. This is ideal for growing healthy hemp plants.
It is difficult to control or determine the soil-based standards of other countries. Therefore it is wise to select CBD products derived from industrial hemp plants grown in the US. This will ensure that the appropriate regulations were followed.
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Like a team, all parts of the plant work together to have a better effect. Full and Broad Spectrum formulations take this into account.
Isolate is pure CBD. Full and Broad Spectrum formulations incorporate terpenes and flavonoids to take advantage of the entourage effect.
The ECS is a complex network of biological infrastructure that coordinates activity between different systems within the body. It is responsible for several important bodily functions.
Extraction Timing
It takes about four months for hemp plants to mature. Harvesting these plants for CBD oil or other CBD products normally takes place in early to mid-fall. This gives the cannabinoids substantial time to culminate. After the harvest, hemp plants hang upside-down for about 30 days.
During this time, they dry and cure. The optimum humidity required to avoid mildew and mold is 58%-62%. Once the drying and curing phase is done, the aerial parts of the cannabis plant are separated from the stalks and seeds of the plant.
These aerial parts are the lower grade hemp buds and trim. Most often companies sideline premium hemp buds to sell separately as flowers. This is because of their optimizing product margins. The process of separation may vary according to a country’s legislation.
Extraction Standards
The gold standard of CBD oil extraction uses pressurized carbon dioxide to a supercritical state to separate compounds within the plant material. This is called CO2 Extraction and is the most common method of extraction. Chosen because of the high efficiency of supercritical CO2.
At high pressure, CO2 acts as a solvent. To accomplish the solvent, you must heat and compress CO2 simultaneously. This causes it to transform into a matter composed of a fluid and high-pressure gas.
In this process, supercritical fluid extraction, the matter is blasted directly into the ground biomass of the plant and targets cannabis trichomes. These trichomes contain the desired cannabis compounds to extract. They include cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes.
Although supercritical fluid extraction is the gold standard for CBD extraction, the high-pressure machinery it requires is incredibly expensive. Ethanol extraction is less expensive but potentially dangerous. Regular Oil Extraction is safe and cheap, but only yields a low level of CBD.
Supercritical CO2 tanks have thick casings that encapsulate pressure as a safety measure. These features cause the machinery to be large, bulky, and heavy. For most growers, there are still more advantages to using these than there are disadvantages. That is why CO2 extraction is the most popular way to go.
Some manufacturers seed, grow, and manufacture their CBD products. Others source their hemp. Those that do everything in-house have more control over the conditions and procedures necessary for optimal results. Proof of a legitimate manufacturing facility is mandatory and something you must take into account while researching CBD manufacturers.
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Questions to consider about the CBD Extraction Process:
•Where do they grow the hemp that the CBD is extracted from?
•Was it grown in the US or sourced from overseas?
•Was it grown sustainably and according to optimal cultivation standards?
Many factors affect quality in the CBD extraction process. Top CBD manufacturers are forthcoming with all information about their products. If you gain a good understanding of the CBD extraction process and how they make CBD products so you will have a clearer picture of the importance of choosing the best quality products. Only the best seeds, soil, plants, and extraction methods are put to use in making high-quality products.
So, what part of the plant do they use during the CBD Extraction Process?
Growers make use of the plant’s stalk, stem, flowers, and leaves to extract CBD during the CBD extraction process. The seed is the only part that does not hold CBD oil.
What are Spectrums and what is an Isolate?
You may have noticed that cannabinoid spectrums fall into different categories. You can buy CBD isolates, broad-spectrum CBD, and full-spectrum CBD. Each formula has important differences as well as pros and cons.
Cannabinoids are important for well-being. There are more than 113 identified cannabinoids. Of those, the most highly researched are CBD and THC. The reason that cannabinoids are important to our well-being is because of their interaction with the endocannabinoid system(ECS). This is a complex network of receptors and neurotransmitters in the immune system, brain, peripheral nervous system, and central nervous system. This system controls a large class of biological functions. Memory, pain perception, cognitive performance, mood regulation, stress management, and immune response are some of those functions.
Full-Spectrum CBD
A full-spectrum extract contains all of the phytochemicals that occur naturally in the plant, including a negligible amount of THC, under 0.3%. The full spectrum of active compounds works to amplify health benefits produced by each cannabinoid. The Entourage Effect is the combination of beneficial results from these compounds.
Broad Spectrum CBD
Broad-spectrum CBD contains all compounds except THC. Following the initial CBD extraction process, another process removes the THC completely. The entourage effect occurs without the THC. Simply put, broad-spectrum CBD is a mix that lies between CBD isolate and full-spectrum CBD.
CBD Isolate
This is the purest form of the compound. The process can CBD pull from the natural environment and further remove from it any other ingredients. There is an advantage in using CBD isolate over other formulas since it offers the highest CBD concentration per serving. Isolates are normally 99% pure. This means that a gram of isolate powder contains around 990mg of CBD. Isolate, however, does not offer the entourage effect. So although it offers benefits, its products are in lower demand and have a lower price tag.
Overall, everyone has different needs and will react differently to CBD. This is something that you should consider when deciding on which CBD product and spectrum is right for you.
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CBD can stay in your system from 48 hours up to one week – or longer.
CBD can affect the cannabinoid receptors in sperm cells and increase the level of testosterone.
There is no evidence that you can overdose on CBD.
Browse and learn more on our website and purchase quality CBD products today!
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